October 17, 2015

When we are talking about victory we must be grounded in something that is beyond today. Thank God Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God, from the very beginning, gave prophetic promises for humanity (Genesis 3:15).

We have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) and of course we all know there was a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

To face challenging times, the onslaught of the enemy, nations rising and failing economies, etc., we must have a belief system that is rooted in God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). God is not taken by surprise when the enemy or man does their worst. He has preordained for His people to be supernaturally victorious.

The err of modern prophetic teaching is that the church is the after thought of God but God's church is not God's "Plan B". Israel was God's church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38) and the New Testament church, birthed on the day of Pentecost, is made up of all races, all nationalities - one in Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:38).

Much of the paranoia and speculation comes by wrong positions that have been taken since the 1830's. That was when a girl had a dream in which she saw a special coming of Jesus resulting in much speculation about the timing of that event. This teaching is called dispensationalism. I believe in the second coming of Christ but not false tradition that is turned into the three comings of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 is the second coming of Christ wherein the resurrection of the dead occurs. Also, many misinterpret Matthew 24:1-34. Jesus was talking to His disiples and in Matthew 24:3, the term "end of the world" means end of the age. What age? The old covenant economy in that generation would end. Matthew 24:14, the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in the whole Roman world and the end of the Jewish economy would occur. (compare Matthew 24:2). The generation that wouldn't pass till all things would be fulfilled was that generation, not the so called future end times.

Until Jesus comes the church will be in a process of maturing and on a mission to disciple the nations (Ephesians 4:11-16, Matthew 28:18-20). Many false religions and many wicked political systems have tried to destroy the church of God but all have failed and in the future all will fail. There is a glorious and powerful future for God's church. The kingdom of God will put down all other kingdoms - read the book of Daniel and study the victories of church history. And the best is ahead!!! For great outpourings of the Spirit will truly happen. Miracles!!! What Israel failed to do the church will accomplish (Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 6:16). The kingdom will come and nations will bow before King Jesus (Psalm 22:27-28).

God has ordained the church to bring the nations to King Jesus. Psalm 2 and Mathew 28:18-20 will come to pass. The promises concerning the overcomers in Revelation 2 & 3 will be fulfilled.

That doesn't mean no suffering, no martyrdom nor demonic set backs. But it does mean is ultimately, God's victorious, prophetic purposes will be accomplished in and through His people.

The good news is God's prophetic plan is our secruity, our hope and our foundation. He died and arose to produce a people that will rule and reign with Him both in this world (Romans 5:17) and in the world to come (Revelation 21:7).

Prophecy is not doom and gloom but the glorious, eternal plan of God from Genesis to Revelation being fulfilled through ordinary people who are commited to the victorious God of prophecy, the Lord Jesus Christ. God's major focus is nothing that the enemy is doing or that man would try to do against His kingdom. God's major focus is His glorious church. Oh thank God, that His powerful plan of redemption is so prophetic and so victorious!!! And thank God, that by His grace, our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, thus making us His victorious, prophetic people.

August 17, 2015

The scriptures teach we go from "faith to faith, grace to grace and glory to glory" but it is also God's intent we go from victory to victory. God's church is meant to be a victorious church and His kingdom is a victorious kingdom (Daniel 6:26, Ephesians 5:27).

We are living in a time in which people feel prophecy is being fulfilled and the end times are upon us and His return and the end is soon. I do agree that prophecy is being fulfilled in His church and the world round about us but not in the way that many think. Jesus said, in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Prophecy is not meant to be negative for us but very powerful, positive and victorious.

Since the 1970's many books have been written by "prophecy experts". They've made sweeping statements about Israel being invaded, the coming Anti-Christ and the soon removal of the church. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!!! Again and again their predictions have been proven false. But now new books are being written about the blood moons, Iran, terrorism etc., saying that these are prophetic signs of the time. More nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!!! Speculation is not prophecy.

God's main purpose in prophecy and in His eternal plan is to raise up a victorious church and a victorious people (Ephesians 2:10-11, Genesis 1:26-28, Revelation 21:7). The "great commission" Matthew 28:18-20, is to be supernaturally fulfilled. More will be in heaven than in hell. In fact I'd be so bold to say, "the majority will have turned to the Lord" (Revelation 7:9). How? By the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit through a normal people who have been redeemed into His victory. But you might say, "How about the perversion that's sweeping the earth? The break down of the family, global conspiracies and radical Islam?" My answer is Biblical Psalm 2: "when the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing, and kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed, He that sits in the heavens shall laugh. As we ask He will give us the heathen for our inheritance and the utter most parts of the earth for King Jesus." God's mercy and God's judgment will prevail. We can expect mighty harvests until the second coming of the Lord.

I have a prophecy that I want to release far and wide. The Lord told me that ISIS and all the other devils, are like the Khmer Rouge (they were the deadly Marksist murderers who destroyed Cambodia and murdered 1/3 of it's populous) They, the terrorists and radical Islamists, will be used to bring the Middle East to Jesus - revival like what happened in Cambodia, where millions have turned to the Lord!!! A divine backlash is coming!!! Since the Lord revealed this to me, I have gottten several confirmations as others getting the same word and confirmed reports about thousands of new people turning to the Lord, in the Middle East.

This doesn't mean that the terrorists or the radical Islamists are from God but God over rules evil (Genesis 50:21) and out of it His prophetic plan and purposes always stand. That's why we're to pray for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven!!! And we need to like Ezekiel, prophecy victory when all around us seems dead (Ezekiel 37:1-10). Prophecy is only negative and fearful to those who reject the mercy and grace of God. Like in Matthew 24:1-34, severe consequences come to those who harden their heart and refuse the victorious good news of Jesus.

Prophecy for God's people is full of hope, life, impartation and encouragement. Let's have discernment so that we can reject the nonsense, the error and the foolishness that calls itself prophecy. And may we expect the victorious plan of God only to unfold. True prophecy brings us in to new dimensions of victory, deliverance and the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit. When we are facing the awesome challenges of today may we know, in utter certainty, that God's prophetic plan for us is His present and eternal victory!!! Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established, believe his prophets (I might add, true prophets) so shall you prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20)

June 17, 2015

When we are examining the revelation concerning victory we have to have a well balanced mindset concerning the powerful truths that are involved in this mighty topic.

The apostle Paul was a man who wrote much on victory: Romans chapter 8 and 1 Corinthians chapter 15 definitely standout as shining examples concering the foundation upon which he built his life in Christ. Yet when you read the book of Acts there were many times in which Paul had to lay hold of Godʻs mercies to be able to stand against the fury of the demonic realm and those that were under its power. He was mocked, he was beaten, he was imprisoned, he was left for dead, he was shipwrecked and close followers and churches left him (2 Timothy 4:10, 2 Corinthians 4: 6-17).

How did Paul live in victory? Through grace and constant grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). When we are going through hard times and extreme demands are upon our lives may we ever depend upon and often throw ourselves upon Godʻs grace because if a man as great as Paul had to live on grace in and extreme way, how much more do we?!!!

Also in our battles and difficulties of life we mush guard agains negativitly. God has been faithful and will be faithful. But itʻs so important that we keep positive thinking (Philipians 4:8) based on the Word of God and guad the words that come out of our mouths as Proverbs warns, "death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:25)

Above all, we must cultivate our relationship with the Lord. Church activities and human relationships canʻt come first. Jesus must be the object of our first love (Revelation 2:1-4). He must be the Center of our hearts desires an the divine focus of our lives (Hebrews 12:1-3). We need to have a future hope in the goodness of God and a vision thatʻs saturated with faith, hope and love (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Romans 8:17-19). According to scripture, all things arenʻt good, but all things are working together for good. Davidʻs vision for Godʻs goodness must be our vision (Psalm 27:13). And we must use the name of Jesus against the demonic powers that assault us. We need a prayerful warriorʻs mentality!!!

In our most challenging relationships or our greatest attacks and temporary set backs (note the word "temporary"), we need to expect and declare the Lordʻs breakthroughs. Like David, in 1 Samuel 30, encouraged himself in the Lord, we need to meditate on Joshua 1:8 and pray through until we have inner certainty in the Presence of God.

When Jesus was on the cross, He had victory. When Paul was in prison and later facing death, he had victory. In Christ there is victory for us in whatever challenges we face as long as we donʻt get a negative focus, nor allow ourselves to become bitter (Hebrews 12:15). There is an incredible inheritance that the Father has for us all, as we stand for His victory He will cause us to fully enter in to it!!!

In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from a great servant of the Lord from previous generations:

"When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lordʻs choicest wines." ~ Samuel Rutherford

We all have our seasons where we are surrounded and have to battle oppressions, depressions and some times even life itself. But victory is ours and will materialize. Gaze upon Jesus and be more determined, more than ever before, to be His victorious church!

April 17, 2015

God desires to have a church that is moving in His power, presence and pruity. Though it is easy to say that, it will take supernatural grace and prayer to bring it to pass!!!

Jesus repeatedly quoted from Isaiah 56:7, "my house shall be a house of prayer for all people (nations)". To become a church that is moving in God's best we must emphasize and demonstrate prayer. There are no shortcuts to coming into the power of the supernatural life of Christ. His manifest presence is a mandate for us to possess, to rise and be who we're called to be in Christ.

In the beginning of the early church they steadfastly in prayers (Acts 2:42). Prayer was not something that was done occasionally but it was the very core of their Christian lifestyle. The leaders demonstrated this and knew it was essential to build strong churches and healthy Christianity (Acts 6:4).

There is a supernatural battle that goes on when leaders and believers are a part of the body of Christ and whose goals are focused on building up the kingdom of God. To in this battle, and to avoid or limit casualties, prayer must be the major priority in all we do. In Colossians 4:2, Paul said we are to devote ourselves to prayer. The word in the Greek language of the New Testament for "devote" is the strongest word for "commitment".

Jesus would often withdraw into the wilderness to pray (Luke 5:16) and He would get up in the morning, before dawn, and go alone and pray (Luke 1:35). In the major decisions He made, Jesus would tap into the Father's wisdom in prayer and then do what He would hear and see. When He had one of the major decisions He would ever make, He would pray all night (Luke 6:12) then, and only then, He would choose His twelve apostles. In facing the cross, Jesus prayed with such intensity that His sweat mingled with His blood and fell on the ground (Luke 23:41-44, Hebrews 5:7). The very last thing He did on the cross was plead, in prayer, for the Father's forgiviness for those that hung Him there and prophetically proclaimed, "It is finished!".

We must seek God for God on a daily basis - for our enjoyment and His glory, until we breakthrough into His manifest presence. And then we must intercede and war in the Spirit as He directs us.

We must have, as a corporate body, prayer on an ongoing basis, special nights of intercession and seasons of fasting and prayer. Like in the days of Nehemiah, we need to build the work of God with a prayer thrust (Nehemiah 4:9-23). Leaders in the body of Christ must teach and emphasize and prioritize prayer. There is a very real spirit world that governs the natural world and by joining ourselves to the Lord of hosts in believing Biblical prayer, God's church will be raised up and the enemy's schemes constantly and continually ruined.

February 8, 2015

In our last teaching we began to stress the importance of team work in raising up strong churches. The enemy likes to isolate and divide God's people so that the multiplying power of teamwork is broken and the witness of Christ is marred before the world. Many models that are followed in the church world do not resemble God's pattern revealed in the scriptures (Acts 13:1-4)

In this teaching I want to emphasize the wisdom that comes from a proper biblical team. We all have different anointings and different functions. We all have limited revelation and limited strength. Regardless of how powerful we are in ministry or life, we are limited and will find definite weakness in ourselves, on how to build the kingdom of God successfully.

But joined to the right people our strength multiplies "One can chase a thousand but two can put ten thousand to flight (Deuoreromoy 32:30)". That's why our Lord sent out teams two by two and traveled often with the twelve. Multiplied strength, multiplied prayer, multiplied revelation and multiplied wisdom!!

In a team that is put together by God that chooses to walk in the Spirit, the wisdom of the Lord will be activated, multiplied and demonstrated. Proverbs says "by wise counsel we make war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety"(Proverbs 24:6). There is strength in numbers - the strength of wisdom. Christ the Wisdom of God manifests Himself not just through one but through a group that is teamed together to build the Kingdom of God. The Lord speaks through His people, that is why it is important to be in relationship with those that follow after the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of this world (James 3:15 & 17).

Prophetic direction, prophetic gifts and revelation that bring God's mind and wisdom flow deepen on a team (1 Corinthians 14:29). Decisions that effect others in a great way are best made when the five fold ministry teams together (Ephesian 4:11) and offers proper checks and balances.

Wisdom to raise up the next generation, wisdom for strategies to reach cities and nations, wisdom to solve complex issues and problems will come to those who are in proper team relationships and team ministries "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposes in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Ephesians 2:10-11).

May the Lord grace us to pray together and be open to what He says through each other so that we may live and move in the wisdom of His Spirit and the scriptures. May God deliver us from the foolishness of religious patterns and endeavors that are void of the wisdom of God, for a greater one that Solomon abides in us and He longs to release His supernatural wisdom.

December 2, 2014

In this series I want to concentrate on biblical principals that will help raise up and activate healthy New Testament churches. In this teaching I want to emphasize "team ministry". Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 12:14, "The body is not one member, but many". It is Godʻs heart that all true members of the body of Christ function in His anointing and in their God ordained ministries. Much unneccesary pressure has come upon full-time leaders and the committed core of local churches because of the lack of team work through the whole body of Christ. What made a destroyed city and broken down walls to be rebuilt in the days of Nehemiah? The people chose to rise and build (Nehemiah 2:18). Nehemiah or just a few people could not have done such a daunting task. It took all of Godʻs people working together. Do it again, Lord!!!

In team work the burden, vision and weight of the work is shared and, because of diversity, the necessary giftings are in operation.

About a year ago, in San Francisco, the Lordʻs Spirit came upon me and gave me this prophecy for a particular local church - but I feel it significantly relates to us all. It was...

Raise up teams: the Lord says "Raise up teams, teams of servants, teams of children, teams of teens, teams of youngs adults, teams of adults, teams of seniors, teams of women, teams of young girls.

For I want to activate My body and not have the head droop.

I want all to function and to flow in unction.

A complete body that knows and grows in My power and presence.

A body that can declare and demonstrate My love and heart.

Activate My body!

For the body to grow there must first come the flow. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

All in team will cause the enemy to scream – "Retreat"

"For I will raise up a new model in a new spirit," saith the Lord – now abideth faith, hope and love – raise up teams

Release and increase My body

Teams, teams, teams based on unity, love, vision and power for this hour

Prepare the church to move in unity in generational blessings and breakthroughs – growth

A model to behold that will be reproduced

Amen!!!!

Teamwork started in heaven... In God Himself and His angels and is meant to be revealed in all that His people do for His kingdom. May God release His grace to cause us to multiply our strength, eliminate much of our weaknesses and greatly improve our results through Spirit lead, biblically-based teamwork

October 8, 2014

In this ongoing series on the Kingdom of God it is my prayer that the Lord will enlarge all our understanding to what He, the King, wants to accomplish through us, His blood bought citizens, in the Kingdom of God.

In this teaching we want to emphasize that God's kingdom is a kingdom of power. For as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:20, that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated in His Son, that He, Jesus, is set at His right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power (Ephesians 1:20-21). That's why Jesus, through His blood, has made us a kingdom of priests - kings and priests (Revelation 1:5-6). We are authorized to go and disciple the nations through all the power that has been given onto Him in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18-20).

But how is this to done? First, through the powerful, anointed preaching of the gospel and the power of our testimony and witness (Acts 1:8, Revelation 12:11). But then God is looking for a people who will proclaim the Word with signs following (Mark 16:15-20). He longs to work through His church with healings, miracles and great signs and wonders. He is alive today and He wants to demonstrate that through many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3)

I have seen the Lord stretch forth His hand, in supernatural power, in many nations (Acts 4:20). We have personally seen healings, divine protection, supernatural manifestations of His presence (wind, fire) and have worked with those who have raised the dead and seen God multiply food and do creative miracles.

Why is this not witnessed in certain parts of the earth? I believe certain answers are unbelief, false doctrine, division in the church and a lack of anointed, united prayer.

May God find us desperate to see His kingdom revealed in biblical power. May God find us full of the Word and the Spirit of God so through our hands, words and deeds, God's great power and God's great grace would be revealed in this crucial time of world history. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. This is not an optional thing, the true Kingdom of God must be revealed in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 2:3-4)

Thank God that our Lord uses ordinary people to move through with His supernatural love and grace for He has been declared to be the Son of God with power (Romans 1:4). And I might add, this kingdom is an all conquering kingdom, for His power will never be defeated nor equaled. Look what happened to Pharaoh's false miracle workers. Moses' rod devoured them.

In this generation the conquering power of the Holy Spirit will advance God's kindom. Woe onto the enemy, nations will bow before our King!!!

August 23, 2014

The Kingdom of God is such a vast subject and so deep in meaning that volumes could be, and have been, written about it. So as I bring this series forth, it is with a clear understanding in my mind and heart that it is being done in a limited way.

Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14) with great signs and wonders that made people ask, "What new doctrine is this?" (Mark 1:27) He did not bring a continuation of the religious system that was upon the earth but rather revealed another world in this world - the Kingdom of God. The true Christian faith is not a religion but it is the love and power of God revealed to us and through us.

This kingdom has incredible "side effects". The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:17, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteous, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost". When one enters the Kingdom they become righteous, as He is righteous, forever! (Romans 5:24-25, 1Corinthians 1:30) His blood joins us in covenant to almighty God. We go from being a foe of God to becoming a friend of God. Concerning peace, it has been made available to us through His blood on the cross (Colossians 1:20) Our soul no longer wars against God but we have been reconciled! (Romans 8:6) The darkness, the oppression, the depression loses it's legal hold over us and the joy of the Holy Spirit becomes God's blessed reality in our lives. (Isaiah 61:3)

This kingdom is a spiritual kingdom whose King desires to bring these glorious qualities of Himself to all of mankind. That's why the Lord admonished us to pray for His kingdom to come and His will be done in earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10)

May the gospel of the Kingdom of God be understood by revelation (Ephesians 1:17-18) and may we be a people in which this glorious kingdom is demonstrated and advanced.

June 18, 2014

Kingdom of God, Part 2

In our last teaching we began to emphasize the importance and centrality of the Kingdom of God in the things of scripture and the Spirit.

In the gospel of John, 3rd chapter, Jesus gives several keys to advancing in the Kingdom of God. In John 3:3, He stresses the new birth as a pre-requisite to seeing the Kingdom and in John 3:5, He mentions the necessity of being born of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom. These are not just initial points of entry but a part of one's quest concerning vision and growth into the Kingdom for one's self and others.

How does seeing equate with the Kingdom of God? Mankind is blind and the new birth opens our eyes to be able to see the things of God's Kingdom. We can say, as the man who was miraculously healed in John chapter 9, "One thing I know, once I was blind, now I see"!! (John 9:25) But, our seeing does not end with initial salvation but is part of our ongoing salvation - being conformed to Christ. We must grow in spiritual sight (Rev 3:18) and a part of our ongoing walk with God is anointed eyes. God wants to release upon our lives increased seeing into His Word and the entire spirit realm. Paul's great Spirit inspired prayer for the Ephesians needs to be a part of our ongoing prayer life to advance the Kingdom in and through us (Eph 1:16-22). We need, in an ongoing way, the Spirit of revelation. We need the eyes of our understanding being enlightened. In short, we need to know, by revelation, what He accomplished in Christ through His resurrection and ascension. The Kingdom is advanced, in and through us, according the degree of spiritual vision we apprehend.

Jesus also stressed, entering the Kingdom. When we are saved we leave the kingdom of darkness and enter God's Kingdom. But it is not just a one time entrance into spiritual life. No!! The Spirit of truth is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). The apostle Peter, who stressed grace in both of his epistles, in 2 Peter 3:18, challenged the believers to grow in grace. We are a work in progress and are in process. We enter the Kingdom through ongoing repentance, faith, obedience to the will of God, trials, yielding the Spirit of prayer and working out our salvation in the body of Christ - God's true church.

Though the Kingdom has been given to us we must continually enter in to our inheritance (Joshua 1:3) We cannot give place to the enemy and permit unbelief etc. to cause us to die in the wilderness. Let's be a Kingdom people who reveal, demonstrate and establish God's Kingdom on the earth.

April 29, 2014

Recently I've been impressed to share upon God's glorious Kingdom. With all the upheavals and complex political issues in the nations it is possible to get a mindset that does not resemble God's at all. Part of the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2) is to grasp a Kingdom world view in all aspects of our lives. What does God say about something? What does God's Word say about something? For believers are primarily citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20). As I have studied history much and have seen how nations rise and fall and are often restored again, it is imperative like the priests in the Old Testament we separate the precious from the vile. By this I mean we discern and stand for the purposes of God in the midst of the chaos and changes of history. Our full and foremost loyalty is to God and His Kingdom. Daniel promises that God's Kingdom is a victorious Kingdom and against all else it will stand forever (Daniel 2:44).And His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and is from generation to generation (Daniel 4:34. Psalm 145:13).

We need to focus on the ongoing victory and accomplishments of the Kingdom of God, for the church is the instrument for God's eternal purposes to be accomplished on the earth (Ephesians 3:10-11). In Psalm 110 the Lord promises in verse one and two that He will make the enemies of Christ the footstool of Jesus and the rod of His strength will come out of His Kingdom "Zion" to rule His enemies. The New Covenant reiterates this in Hebrews 10:12-13 - Jesus has sat down on the right hand of God after His mighty sacrifice at Calvary and is expecting His enemies to be made His footstool! The enemies of the Gospel every anti-christ, philosophy and position, will be conquered by the Holy Spirit through God's people. Sin, sickness and Satan himself will be overthrown. The reigning Christ will have a triumphant Kingdom throughout the earth before he returns.

Thank God we can reign in life through our Lord Jesus Christ because of the abundance of His grace (Romans 5:17). Therefore this glorious victory of the Kingdom of God can be entered into both in our personal lives and for our villages, towns, cities and the nations of the earth. All belongs to King Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 11:15, Revelation 19:16).